This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE 8/3/04

Apparently the East Side Bypass is in for a new name.

The Bypass which has been listed as Alameda...has been carrying traffic from the entrance, known as the Kit Carson Way....down Alameda...and eventually hooking up with South Sixth Street.

The proposal is that it should now be renamed....Crater Lake Parkway.....indicating that those entering the community from 39 to the South....could take this route....head north and reach Crater Lake.

Come next February a new quarter will be issued by the Mint which shows Crater Lake as its’ feature. Obviously since Crater Lake is entirely in Klamath County.....we had better take advantage of the opportunity to bring traffic up 97 rather than Interstate 5 to Crater Lake.

The lake was designated as a national park by the Federal Government on May 22, 1902.

However, it was 98 years ago....in August, 1896, that the lake received its name of Crater Lake.

It had gone through a few different names....Lake Majestic and some others.....but a group called The Mazamas of Portland were responsible for the name Crater Lake.

This group held a big meeting at the lake in August of that year. It drew many people. A report in 1902...in conjunction with the naming of the park as a national park...reported it this way: “A great impetus to the spread of information concerning Crater Lake was given by Mazamas of Portland, who held a meeting at the lake in August 1896. The principal features in the history of the lake had previously been made out, and the Mazamas, recognizing the fact the great peak which was nearly destroyed in preparing the pit for the lake had no name, gave it the name of their society. “

So...its appropriate that we here in the Klamath Falls area gear up with some ideas on how best to take advantage of this great opportunity to publicize our county as the home of Crater Lake.

While we’re at it....speaking of name changes.....some years back the idea was advanced that we should recognize the work of Dan O’Brien in the Decathlon which he dominated several times.

At that time...the foothill boulevard had just been opened..and it was suggested that it be named the Dan O’Brien Boulevard. Instead it wound up on the road leading up the former Sykes buildings.

In my book that wasn’t proper.

Since the foothills boulevard is the route now to the Klamath County Youth Sports Park.....it’s a good time to consider a more appropriate name for that route.

It could be called the Dan O’Brien boulevard....or maybe even named Steen boulevard in honor of Dave Steen and the great job that he has done organizing and putting together the rapidly developing youth sports center located adjacent to the route.

Many of the streets we enjoy in the community have been named after early day residents so it’s not that strange to name streets in someone’s honor.

The only question I would raise about naming the Alameda Bypass the Crater Lake Parkway is that if we’re competing for the travelers who take the I-5 route to Crater Lake through Medford....these travelers would not be using the Crater Lake Parkway except for the West Side bypass where it reaches 97 going north.

Certainly we need more than just a name change if we are to claim the rights to Crater Lake. Let’s hope some other ideas come forth for us to assert our rights to the lake.

This is Floyd Wynne and that’s THE VIEW FROM HERE.